PRESIDENT Barack Obama and his family have welcomed a playful new addition to the White House - a dog called Sunny.

The black Portuguese Water Dog joins the first family's other four-legged friend of the same breed, Bo.

"Sunny is the perfect little sister for Bo - full of energy and very affectionate - and the First Family picked her name because it fit her cheerful personality," said a post on the White House blog on Monday.

Bo joined the Obamas shortly after they moved into the White House in 2009, in keeping with a promise the president had made to his daughters the night he was elected in November 2008.

But Bo, a male, was a tad lonely, according to the post penned by Michelle Obama's spokeswoman Hannah August.

"So now, in addition to helping with those official duties, Bo takes on the important role of big brother!" said the blog.

The White House announcement was accompanied by photos and even a video - set to music - of the roughly one-year-old canine frolicking on the South Lawn of the White House with her new furry companion.

When Bo joined the First Family, the Obamas explained that they picked a Portuguese Water Dog because their younger daughter, 12-year-old Sasha, suffers from allergies and fur from this breed rarely causes reactions.

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